Improvement in sewing-machines



G. 2Sheets-f3heetjl- SBWING- MACHINE.

' Patented May 23,l 1865.

2 Sheets-Sh t 2. G. RBHPUSS. ee

SEWING MACHINE.

No. 47,905. Patented May 23, 1865.

wAsHwG-ron u c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMERICAN BUTTON HOLE SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, O-F SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 47,905, dated May 23, 1865.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE REHFUss, of Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, have invented certain` Improvements in 'Machines for Sewing Button-Holes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference. being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereou.v

My invention consists ol' certain mechanism, fully described hereinafter,for forming stitches on the edges ol fabricsf-snch, for instance` as the edges of button-holes.

In order; to enable others skilled in theart to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe it-s construction and operation.

VOn reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specilication, Figure l, Drawing N 1, is a side view, partly in section, ofmy improved button-hole sewing-machine Fig. 2,- a section on the line l 2, Fig. l; Figs. 3, 4, and 5, Drawing No. 2, views drawn to an enlarged scale, looking in the direction ot' the arrow, Fig. l; and Figs. `6, 7, 8, and 9, diagrams showing the progressive formation of the stitch. t

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.V

A is the bed-plate of the machine, beneath which turns'the driving-shaft B.

C is the usual stationary arm, in which the shaft B is caused to rock, this shaft imparting a reciprocating vertical motion to the needlebar D, to the lower end otl which is secured the needle a, the latter heilig supplied with thread w from the spool X.

In an opening in the upper end ot' the needle-bar slides a rod, E, below which is a spiral spring, af, the upper end ot' the rod passing through a projection, b, ou a standard, F, se

cured 'to the arm C. A pin, c, projects from the needle-bar into a slot in the rod E, so that the latter may sli-de freely in the bar, but cannot be withdrawn therefrom. In the rod E, above and below the bracket b, are openings adapted for the reception of pins d d', which determine the extent of the vertical movement of the rod.

To a piu projecting from the side of the rod .Eis hunga lever, G, in the end of the short arm of which is a slot, and through the latter passes a screw into the side of the standard F.

In the long arm ot' the lever are a number ol' openings, e, and from the side ofthe standard F projects a pin, b', in which is an eye, for

.a purpose described hereinafter.

an annular groove, i, in the upper end of the I sleeve, and which is secured to the stationary arm. From the lower end ot' the sleeve projects an arm, I, at the lowerlend of whichis a notched projection, It, for a purpose described hereinafter.

Ou the under side of the 1ease-plate A is a bracket, J, to which is hungone end of a lever, one arm, K, of which bears against the side ot' a cam on the driving-shaftl, the other arm, K', projecting forward to a point'beneath the -work-plate` L, its outer end being furnished with a needle or loop-carrier, m, which holds a loop of thread, 5,', the supply of the latter being obtained from the spool Y. The bracket .I is set at such an angle to the bedplate that the loop-carrier 'm shall move in a path coinciding with the line a," x', Fig. 3, and shall pass through an opening in theplate L, on the :upper face of which, at one side of the said opening, is a curved guard, n, and from the lower side of the plate, near the opening through which the needle a descends, projects a straight guard, u".

Ou the lower side ofthe plate L is a staple, p, and near one edge ot' the' bed-plate is. a spring-tension, q, Fig. l. 1,

Tc a bracket, J', ou'the under side of` the bed-plate A,.is'hung a lever, N, Fig'. 2, the Q/ longralmfof which projects over a cam, O, on the driving-shaft B. To the other arm of the lever is attached a spring-plate, r', through a slot in the outer end of which passes a rod, l, and on the latter `turns the spool M, the said spring-plate r' resting oua collar, o, which turns freelyon the rod above the spool. A tension device, It, is attached to the arm C, and a similar tension device, It', to the under side of the base-plate A. The thread from 't he spoolXis passed through the staple t, through` the eye in the piu lil, through one or more of the openings inthe lever G, and thence to the eycot' the needle a. y The thread from the under spool,Y, passes through the staple of the tension device R', through an eye at the end of the spring-tension q, through the staple p, and thence through the eyes of the loop-carrier m,

as best shown 'in Figs. 1 and 3. -The fabrieW this loop is penetrated by the loop-carrier m,

which carries with it the thread y to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 7.` As the needleal continues its upward motion the arm l moves round the needle-bar in the direction of its arf row, Fig. 1, the notched projection k at the end of the arm I catching the loop of thread y at the side of the loop-carrier m, and carrying it to the position shown in Figs. 5 and 8, so that a loop of the said thread vshall be Spread beneath the point of. the needle a, which, as it descends', penetrates the loop and enters the fabric after the latter has been moved by the feed the length of one stitch in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 9. When the needle again rises a loop of thread, x, is formed at theside of the same, and this loop is penetrated by the carrier m, as before, the thread y being thus carried back and, forth over the edge ofthe fabric and locked to the upper and under side f of the same by the thread x, so as to .forni a binding over the edge ofthe fabric, such as is required for buttonholes.

During the -abovedescribed .operation it is important that both of the threads .1; and y should at certain periods be slack, and at other times be retained perfectly tight.

The length ofthe rod E and the manner in which the lever Gr is'secured tothe said rod and to the standard Fare such that when the needle a is at the limi-tot' it-s downward motion, and asit begins v to rise, the lever G will oc. cupy a horizontal position, so thatthe thread .r may be slack enough to form a loop at .the side of the needle. When, however, the loopcarrier has penetrated the loop of thread rr, and the needle a begins to ascend, the lever G isl quickly carried to the position shown in. Fig.' 1,so.asto take up all the slack thread and draw the loop close to the fabric. rlhe cam Q is so arrangedl on the shaft B that as the loopycarrier m ascends through the loop of thread a: the only tension on the thread y shall be that imparted by the tension devices It and q. When, however, the carrier begins to descend, after the loop of thread y has been penetrated by the needle a, the camO raises the long arm of the lever N, so that the spring-plate rshall bear firmly on the collar o and' prevent the further revolution of the spool M. The thread y is therefore drawn tightly between the staple p and the fabric by the loop-carrier m as it dcsceuds. i v

-It wil-l be seen that such a perfect regulation of the tensionl of both threads as is necessary to insure a superior qualityof work is obtained by the above-described devices.

In order to protect the needle a, as well as to insure the projection of the loop on the side of theneedle, where it can be penetrated by the carrier m, the guard fn is arranged on the side of the needle opposite the said carrier, the guard being sufficiently close to the needle to prevent the thread from looping-to any-extent between the two.

0n the upper side of the plate L the guard'` p n is so arranged that it not onlyprotects the needle m, but prevents the edge ofthe button'- hole opposite to that which is beingworked from crowding over the opening through which the y loop-carrier rises and entanglingthe threads or otherwise interfering with the operation-of the machine. The said guard also acts as a guidein turning the fabric whenthe rounded end of the button-hole is being worked.

lt will be apparent that other means than.A`

those herein described and illustra ted may be employed for imparting the desired motion to the arm I. I however-prefer that described as being simple, cheap, and eiicacious.

lI claim as my invention and desire to secure arm I, in combination with the needle-bar D and pinf, the whole being arranged and operating substantially as and' for the purpose specified. Y

3. The guard n, arraugedon the plate L in respect to the looper m, substantially as set forth, for the purposes described.

4. The rod E and lever G, in combination with the needle-barD and its spiral spring a',

. the whole being arranged and operating substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciticationin the presence of two sub- A .GEo.'nEHFUss.` `i

scribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. FOSTER, J oHN WHITE. 

